The world may seem to be a peaceful place, but the threat of a Nuclear war is ever-present. With the release of the new report, the Stockholm, based SIPRI has estimated an increase in the number of nuclear warheads from the previous year. The new increase reverses the older trend of reducing the number of Nuclear Warheads Are Increasing In The World.
The Increase In Warhead
The threat of nuclear weapons is always present in the modern world. South Asia is a very volatile geography that is at constant risk of becoming a nuclear flashpoint. The region has three nuclear powers India, China, and Pakistan which are under constant tussles in matters relating to their borders.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has released its annual report on the presence of nuclear weapons in the world. It suggests that China is undertaking a significant modernization and expansion of its nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, both the South Asian rivals India and Pakistan also appear to be expanding their nuclear arsenals.
The report releases an estimated number of nuclear warheads under the possession of different countries. The 2021 report suggests that India holds an estimated 156 nuclear warheads, while its rival Pakistan posses almost 165 warheads. Meanwhile, the bigger power China just increased its warhead count from 320 in 2020 to 350 at the beginning of this year.
Increasing Arsenal A Dangerous Trend
According to Hans M. Kristensen who is an Associate Senior Fellow with SIPRI’s Nuclear Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-proliferation Programme the overall nuclear warheads are increasing at an alarming rate. He expressed his concern over the increasing nuclear arsenals in the military inventory. The trend is alarming as it reverses the earlier trend of reduction in nuclear arsenal since the end of the Cold War.
As of the publication of this report the world has a total of nine nuclear-armed states. These are the United States, U.K., France, Israel, Pakistan, India, China, and North Korea. Together these nation holds an estimated 13,080 nuclear weapons, in their arsenal. The US and Russia meanwhile hold almost 90% of the warheads. Both these nations are also undertaking expensive and extensive modernization programs.
Stay with Stanford Arts Review for the Latest Updates.
